When word spread that the Beastie Boys had put out their very own
magazine, newsstands and bookstores were swamped with requests for
a title they had previously never heard of: Grand Royal. The very
first issue of the magazine was indeed a Beastie Boys production
through and through; all three members had contributed to what would
become the very sought after premier issue. By issue number six,
the magazine had become more of Mike D's venture than that of the
two Adams. Adam Horovitz went so far as to actually have a disclaimer
printed inside the pages of the sixth issue. "I was a fashion
(I mean, super model) in the first issue of Grand Royal. But since
then I've had nothing to do with the magazine. So not only are my
views and opinions not expressed, but I don't agree with everything
in the damn thing." Yet even without Adrock's input, the publication
grew from a limited initial print run (1993) to
a worldwide phenomenon by the time it was all said and done (1997).

According to Chris Johnsen (Head of Sales, Marketing & Promotion at Grand Royal 1993-2000) "We manufactured only 7,500 of Issue #1 and it sold immediately. With the long awaited Issue #2 we printed 50,000 and ended up sitting on 10's of thousands left over... With issue one, only 7,500 were made, approx 1,000 were given away and roughly 6,500 were sold directly to retail stores and we shipped many out to newstands through a distributor who never paid us a dime and told us most of the magazines he had shipped for us didn't sell, could not be returned to us due to cost issues and were subsequently destroyed by the newstands he sold them to. It's realistic that perhaps only 3-4,000 actually survived."

In what is perhaps the best published account of the once great
Grand Royal empire, Mike D explained to Select magazine (June 1997)
how they came up with the idea to publish the magazine. "We
didn't sit down and think, Hey, lets make a magazine. It was more
pathetic than that. We had all of these people writing to us (using
the address listed within the Check Your Head liner notes) about
the band and we weren't getting back. We had this simple ambition
of a newsletter, but then we saw a couple of other bands' fanzines
and they were just like, This is what the band is up to now and
this is what they'll be doing. We were like no way! So we made it
into a proper magazine."

Pathetic or not, the magazine met with huge
consumer demand and soon potential advertisers were lining up to
get their name splashed across the magazine's glossy pages. However
things got sort of sticky for Grand Royal editors when the magazine
would continually miss release deadlines. Issue number two, which
is considered by many to be the War and Peace of "generation
X" culture, took an extra year before it finally hit store
shelves. Perhaps the ongoing deadline battles was what prompted
Grand Royal to have what seemed like a revolving door of editors.
Jamie Fraser, who was the Associate Publisher long after Bob Mack
left, explained to Select magazine that the wait was part of the
magazine's appeal. "Oh yeah, they (advertisers) can get pretty
irate, but that's part of the allure. You can advertise in any magazine
that comes out on time."

Although the lack of a predictable release
schedule weakened Grand Royal's ability to sell subscriptions, the
end of the print magazine was not a result of waning interest. As
former editor Eric Gladstone recounts, "the staff at Grand
Royal realized selling and fulfilling subscriptions was really a
big pain (without a fulfillment service, which is how most magazines
do it, it's a lot of work!), and that selling the magazine through
record stores and newsstands worked much much better. It was through
these venues that the final issues sold well. The latter issues
were its best sellers, and we held to very tight budgets. The cessation
of Grand Royal magazine was entirely a creative decision on the
part of the group." The inevitable happened and the publication
went to strictly an online 'zine. At first fans were excited because
new features were being added to the site almost weekly, but soon
the novelty wore off and the masses longed for their favorite pound
of pulp.

Sadly, we now live in a post-Grand Royal world. With the fall of
the record label came the end of the website and thus the end of
the magazine in any format. Fortunately for us the content in the
old issues of Grand Royal magazine are as fresh as the day they
hit the stands. It is amazing how the magazines hold up nearly ten
years after their creation. Mike D often would compare the magazine
to a fine wine saying, "each issue is designed to age gracefully,
with mellow undertones, and a fruity finish."

So to conclude, if you don't own the magazines
it is time to make your way over to eBay.com and pick them up. Or
as Mike D said, "this is an extremely collectable magazine.
All the time I hear about people going to other people's houses
and reading it. It's phenomenal! Its shelf life is just huge!"
(June 1997, Select).

Issue #1

76 pages.Intro PageUp Front - Russell Simmons is carphoned, Coxsone Dodd is Perliched,
Q-Tip is Q&Aed and the Tibetan dilemma is outlined.Top Tens - Food, fueds, snaps, beats, misleading album covers, tape
tips, taking the skunk out of bud and the Bests of the Month.Grand Royal News - Beastie Boys bulletins, Luscious Jackson action,
on the DL with DFL, and the happening with Tha Hurra.The Real Deal - Real Deal producers R.D. Bone and Lawrence Hubbard
are interviewed and a sample of their genius provided in "Jabbo
the Blind Pimp."The Pharcyde - Stoned, stoopid and down on Rufus, the Pharcyde talk
to Mike D. and Trendy Days.Comics Page - Reas and Ione sketch it up.George Clinton - An update by Marisa Fox. The center-spread features
four color artwork by the colorblind Clinton.The Great Gap Conspiracy - Dress nice or be iced.Pal Joey! - Joey Buttafuoco Fashion, dressed to maim.Bruce Lee - The legendary ass-kicker, wise-cracker and wisdom weilder.The Kompleat Kiss - Inside a KISS convention, lunch with the band,
and the guy who paints a sillouhette of the Destroyer album cover
on everything.Columns - The '71-'72 Lakers, My Winter Vacation, The '92-'93 Knicks,
My Crisis with Flannel, Sound Advice, and the Captain's Beefs.Reviews - What you need, and what got Z-Listed.The Back Page - Stamps we'd like to see.

Issue #2 "Long
Awaited, Much Anticipated, Grossly Outdated"

140 pages.
Includes a Biz Markie 7" Flexi.

Letters From And To The Editors
Bob is all apologies
"Free Slick Rick!" as per Captain's orders
Yauch yaks to the best of the letters
Bob and Pete irresponsibly respond to the rest
Ms. Hanna and Ms. Wilcox play Mr. Diamond (final score: KRS:1, Mike
D:0)Upfront
Restauranteur Russell Simmons and wrong number victim Russell Simins
confront their homonymphobia
Former Ultimate Fighting Champion Royce Gracie drops his guard
Allison Anders echoes parklife sentiments
Ben Davis on the evolution of his Super Ape
Wilma Wilcox shares final thoughts on her late husband Weegee
Humourist Henry Alford reconnects the hip bone to the funny boneTop Tens
Ricky Powell premieres his All New Snaps and recollects his days s
a substitute teacher
Glen E. Friedman dams his old school skate yarns
Thurston Moore notes that the best things in life are free and all
that jazz
Tokyo Rosenfeld's subscription drive jive weeds out the competition
Eric Gladstone on being single and seven inchesFood
Eugene Futterman's Rule interpreted by Nathan Brackett
Noel Yauch's Frugal FRitata recipe shared by his son Adam
DJ Fruze's Chef-B-Boyerdee Bouillabaise uncanned by Spence DookeyVanilla Trainwreck! - Yuppie conqueror
Bob Mack goes out on a limbaugh to upset archer-nemesis Ted Nugent
in an excerpt from the forthcoming double-live "Don't Call Me Whitey,
Whitey!"Number One With A Mullet! - Our impassioned
plea for all peoples to stop doin' the do that's hair, there, and
everywhereReal Deal - And now, the illing conclusion
to Jabbo the Blind Pimp by R.D. Bone and Lawrence HubbardMurder Can Be Fun? - Mathew Horovitz
brings the Noyes on the Short Unhappy Life of Charles Guiteau, the
visionary who shot President James A. Garfield in 1881Planet Of The Super Ape! - The supe
duper 24-page Compleat Lee Perry Primer, including essay, timeline,
interview with the magical man himself, e-z-to-read discography, various
testimonials, plus a special 4 page 4-color insert. And that doesn't
even begin to Scratch the surface!Bad Trip! - You can't spell "ACID"
without "CIA"Hibernation Under A Groove - RJ Smith
unearths Charles Wright, the available recluse behind NWA's "Express
Yourself", rock concert t-shirts, and Randy Newman's love of L.A.Grand Royal NewsMaps To The Stars, Holmes! - Adam Yauch's
Road to Enlightenment paved with good intentions by Adam Yauch with
Evan Bernard

Issue #3 "Often
Wrong, Never In Doubt"

140 pages.
Includes a 'Grand Royal' iron-on transfer.

Editorial - A message about this blessed
messPool Skimmer - Spike Jonze's guide
to dippingDon't Touch That Dial - Graffiti Rock
and Future ShockBrushes With Danger - Evel KnievelRicky Powell - leads a hectic lifeHow To Read A Horse - and other essential
trackside info from Pavement's NastanovichPrescription Strength - Doctor Octagon's
discourse on trash cinemaThose Mettling Kids - The chic of metal
ic back and uglier than everThe Man With The Van - Bass master
Mike Watt Air Bag Jacking - and other crimes
are brought to light via VirgeGlobetrotting Legend - "Pearl Powell"
faces off with Geese AusbieActivate - Yourself with violenceAfter-Hours Olympics - At the Tonga
RoomYauch Delivers - the Dalai LamaMark Gonzales - with the latest in
eyebrow hair removalYankovic, Yasoo and Yoko - Mike D and
Russell Simins plug Yankovic, Yasoo and Yoko in the mixThe Sounds Of Science - Come together
in 32 pages of analog boogaloo, including:Bob Moog - and the machine that rocked
the worldIsland Of Electronicus - Dave VanKoeveringMike D's Top 10 - Moog-infested recordsWalter Sear - A tuba salesman who helped
launch the MoogSynthesizer Stockpile - Audities and
the Synthesizer StockpileFood For Thought - From the pages of
the Moog CookbookKeyboard Money Mark - The Fort Knox
of loose groovesStep-By-Step - Instructions on how
to build a non-operative thereminStereolab - A slab of blabProg Rock - The ten-step programDick Hyman - Moog maestro gets to to
meet Eric BonerzThe History of Adidas - Three stripes
and you're inOn The Good Foot - With Jesse White,
dancin' outlawSpray It Don't Say It - With human
beat boxingBiz's BeatsVintage Camera - New developments on
the Vintage Camera tipStreet-Lit 101 - With Halloway House
BooksChuckle - A critical essay and deconstructionBob Mack Runs Amok - While impersonating
Mike D at a golf tournamentIn Memoriam

Issue #4 "Nature,
Science, Space, the Funk, Leisure Spectacular"

114 pages.
Includes a "Turntable, A Visual History" pullout poster

Editorial - Make sure tray tables are in
locked position.Kojak - Zen warrior or the White Shaft?
A tribute.I Am Not Beck - Pete Relic, celebrity imposter.Booty Call - Giving the boot; Getting the
boot--the parking violator's lockdown.Cute Van Alert! - the Demolition Doll Rods.Aaron Burr - a Real American Badass.Run in Place - get your zen-on with earl.Kid Rock - "I've always been a little
too late."The Retarded Life - the only life for Ed
Templeton.The Importance of Chill Time - by Mike D.Pinball Whizzer - Champ Lyman "Silk"
Sheats isn't deaf, dumb, or blind, but he rocks Member's Only.Pinball Fantasy Land - Inside the World
where bells bumpers and balls play on.Leisure Spectacular - Work hard, play hard.Power 106 - L.A. FM at its best, by Zoe,
our six-year-old media consultant.East Coast/West Coast Noodlz - Greg Shewchuk
vs. Miho Hatori in the Ramen/Soba Debate.Supermodels - our own Hobby Squad uncovers the model building underground.Mutant Low Riders of the Apocalypse - East
Coast/West Coast bike fiends.Llucha Libre! - Mexican Wrestling combines
drama, humor, and full head masks.Rinx Records - not just an indie label,
but a way of life.The Turntable: A Visual History.Vacuum Records - Japan's resuscitators of
the portable turntable.Invisibl Skratch Piklz - guide you through
the higher art of turntable scratching acrobatics.WU-hah gotcha all in check! The warriors
of WU in the WU-TANG CLAN expanded tribute section - Virgin
Gambino on the set of their latest video. Shaolin get Down - RZA
kickin' facts with a Shaolin master in the Wu Manor. Squigtones
in the Chamber of Death - A Wu-Wear fashion spread throwdown--the
Lenny & Squiggy revival starts here! and WU Activity Page -
Test your knowulege!Burt's Back - the Reynolds wrap-up.Neil Hamburger - the elusive indie-comic
genius.Sara Jacobson - Tamra Davis talks turkey
wit the anti-establishment filmmaker.Break Out Of the Big House - Cool Duk 7
and Sleazy G Guide your thru in this photocomic exclusive.Vince on Vince - master of his domain, by
the man who knows him best.Mike Watt's Knees - A wrenching saga, by
the man who knows it best.Fired Magazine - Bob Mack, America's Least
Employable.Legacy - Carl Sagan

Issue #5 "Strictly
Off The Hook"

116 pages.
Includes a "Grand Royal Bass Jeep" cardboard cutout to assemble.

Editorial / Masthead - Who does what
and whyHot Letters - Readers write long and
right wrongsThe Link To The Kink - And evolution
of whitey's afroGrand Royal Reports - Kenny Rogers'
Roasters by Supergrass and Jay BabcockMore Legends Of Chicken - Staring the
ill-fated Muhammad Ali's Rotisserie Chicken and too successful Roy
RogersObsolete But Still Dope Dept. - The
Polaroid Land CameraA Gallery Of PolaroidsHenry Dreyfus - Designer of modern
PolaroidsCharles Eames - Polaroid visionaryOthar Turner - Last of the fife and
drum menJudah Bauer - On Othar's reluctant
jam sessionSound System Stylee - A Kingston tradition
updated for Lafayette St.Ricky Powell's Music To Get Busy To
- And other people's, tooWelcome To Planet Bass - By Mike DIndiana Ticket In The Temple Of Boom!
- Party hearty with AfroRican / High Town, DJ Derrick Rahming and
DJ Laz in Hiami and LauderdaleProfessor Booty - The history and mystery
of Miami Bass, by ave TompkinsDJ Shadow: What Miami Bass Means -
To the west coast sceneA Page Of Props - To Miami BassBass Tech 101 - In which The Dust Brothers
get the how-to from Bass producer Tony MercedesBo & Luke: The Dukes Of Bass -
In which Luke (Skywalker) and PanDisc's Bo Hanson duke it out for
the kingdom of Bass. The Ref: Dan CLost TV: When Tribe 8 Played Luke's Peep Show
- Oh yesYour Own GR Booty Buggy - Designed
by Evan MackRollin' In Hotlanta With So So Def's Lil'
Jon - And Dave TMiami Spice! - Ubiquitous Virge shows
you how to bring that boomin' bass to your boring Borth of the Border
existanceHobby Squad's Ian - Rocks the Beats
in the Jeep through the Street of SoCal. Wacky hijinks!The Cars That Go Boom - Inside the
IASCA competitions with Dan CatalanoMaggotron's Brain - Be he bastard of
Bootsy and Sun Ra or just his own creation?Booty Call - Lori Denman talks to the
booty modelsMagic Mike - Turntable terrorist tells
it to TompkinsReal American Badass: Carl Fischer
- "Creator" of Miami BeachThe Hitchcock Of Hootchie - Luke's
video director, Jeff KenedyHow To Do Da Dip - With scenes from
the original Dip videoMessages From The Soul Sisters - Two
feminist perspectivesBody Rock - How low end frequencies
actually affect the body by Mark DriverKid Rock's Miami Bass Quiz - Now tell
us what you're learnedStar Wars Breakbeats - Bumpin' with
the other Luke by Jake FogelnestAvant Garde Magazine - A tribute by
Geoff McFetridgeLeave Your Egos At The Door - The second
annual Tibet freedom concert as seen by Ian and Zoe Rogers. Exclusive
shots by Cheryl Dunn and othersTop Ten Reasons The Beasties' Album Isn't
OutLegacy - Jacques Cousteau

Issue #6 "Ignominious
And Proud"

116 pages.
Includes a Grand Royal Demolition Calendar for 1998.

Masthead - The names to blameEditorial - Living the storyGrand Royal Reports: Longboards for 1998
- Tested by our crack team of fearless techniciansThe All Girl Skate Jam - Portraits
and account by Susanna HoweThe Hobby Squad Exclusive Atari Teenage Workshop
- You can either program your own vintage Atari-style video games,
or you can get a life - Ian explores both optionsWhy They Didn't Put Out "Ladies And Gentlemen
The Fabulous Stains" - Sarah Jacobson's behind the scenes story
of a lost cult classicDo You Wanna Be A Professional? - Closet
Stains fans sound offThee Funky Drummers - A small tribute
to the mighty slappers of skinBusta Rhymes Vs. Dolemite - The Grand
Royal co-interviewDemolition Man - By Mike DIn The Pit - Who's Who on Team GRAt The Starting Line - Team GR's first
meetingWhy Spike - By Mike DInto The Deep - Lori points us in the
right directionChoose Your Weapon - Bryan Ray and
Carl find the carPopsicles And Crescent Wrenches - And
everything else Bryan Ray and Carl needed to get the car derby-ready
in seven daysThe Man Behind The Wheel: Mr Spike JonzeA Moment Of Prayer + How To Customize A Derby
Car - By Evan and CamilleJourney To Tulare - Team Leader Ian
picks up the car and the storyMilk, Magic & More - Mark D's undercover
expose of the Tulare County FairHow To Win At The Tulare Jockey ClubJim Pidgeon, Founder Of The Tulare County
Association Of Destruction Derby Drivers - The Grand Royal
interviewIt's On!! - The play-by-play, by Team
Leader Ian in the pit, Eric G in the stands, and Spike in the driver's
seatDriving To Destroy - By SpikeCrash With Eyeliner - Lori interviews
the winner of the women's "Powder Puff" derbyBringin' It On HomeFinding A Demo Derby You Can EnterDemolition Genesis - How it all beganMoments In Demolition History - A Grand
Royal timelineWe Salute Evel Knievel - At the World's
Greatest Demo DerbyThe Malachi Crunch - Neil G remembers
the legends of TV demolitionDemolition 2000 - ZZ Top's Eliminator
man, Tom Hunnicautt gives us his future visionSchool's Out - Christen Powell, 18
years old pro drag racing girlThe Grand Royal Test Drive - Nina separates
The Fluff from The StuffDemolition Bait - Ubiquitous Virge's
10 (+1) worst cars everCombustion Is For Chumps - The future
of autolocomotionThe Atwater Basketball Assoc. 97/98 Season
Yearbook - Russell Simins on why the NBA is whack.Their Royal Highness - Ricky Powell's
tokin' playersCourt Reporters - A basketball biography
breakdownWorld B. Free - The Grand Royal interviewWNBA: The First Season - By Kate ShellenbachEvan Bernard's Top Ten Basketball Films